Bittersweet Beginnings
by Of Stories Told
Summary: It is often a fact in life, that the things we so wish for; almost never go as planned. A young boy is thrust into a new world with old memories wearing down on his still beating heart. A bittersweet tale of finding your way; when you are too tired to keep going.
1. Prologue

**_A/N: _**_I've decided to try my hand at this crossover, though there is only a bare hint at the bottom that it even is a crossover at this point. For anyone curious, this will be slash, I hope you all enjoy this tale and continue to read on._

_And now…_

_Onwards._

* * *

**_Disclaimer: _**_None of these characters are mine._

* * *

How could he have possibly have known what a mistake this night would be?

Luna had been his first clue; he supposed.

The beautiful fey like girl had handed him a small and oddly shaped moleskin pouch before wrapping him up in a tight and desperate hug, she seemed to be unwilling to let him go, and he was shocked to see tears in her normally dreamy eyes.

She had smiled at him oddly then, more so then usual.

_"You'll need it Harry Potter." She whispered softly, her large blue eyes filled with clarity as small crystal tears fell down her pale cheeks. "Just don't forget-" _

He wished he could have comforted her more; maybe even foolishly assure her that everything was going to be fine. Perhaps he should have asked her what she had wanted him to remember; maybe it would have even made a difference. But they were pressed for time and all he could think about was their silly mission.

Sadly, it was much too late for such thoughts now.

Even Ron and Hermione had been subdued that night. They had both hugged him longer then normal, he wondered now if perhaps they knew what would happen. But how could he he have known when all they had done was simply smile at him, swearing to follow him no matter where he would take them. Sweet Ginny had been the same, a loyal gryffindor through and through.

He wished so much it had gone differently.

An unspoken conversation had passed between Neville and him, their eyes locking as they both seemed to say their piece, and he had felt oddly content after that. Somehow he had known, almost instinctively that things would be fine, he saw the fire burning behind the taller boy's eyes and had known he would be the one.

Neville would help them, should the worst happen.

How was he ever to know?

When he had hugged them, when they had gone into that cursed building.

How was he ever to know…

That he would be the one to condemn them to hell.

They had followed a fool, and he made them suffer for it.

And even now… he would never be able to pay them back for such a slight.

* * *

Running.

For him, it came to him as easy as breathing.

His whole life till now all he had done was run after all.

As a young child he would run from his cousin's and uncles meaty fists. He would run and hide from them as his small chest tightened in pain from the lack of oxygen getting into his weak lungs. However the fear of pain would always have him push himself to the very limits, he had hoped so many times that they would never find him, that he could simply run forever.

Yet, they would always catch him in the end.

In Hogwarts, he would run headfirst into danger, when all he would rather do was run in the opposite direction.

He had lost count of just how many times he wished to escape from the madman after him, to simply live like a normal child, to worry about normal things.

But he had never had a choice in that matter, no matter how much he wished otherwise.

Spells flew overhead as they all ran, the only sound to be heard was their ragged breathing and the sound of heavy footsteps as their adrenaline started to wear down, only to be replaced with fear and fatigue.

There was a scream behind him as someone fell, but he couldn't turn to look back, couldn't help them.

They were all going to die, and it was his fault alone.

He could see their glassy eyes looking up at him, wide and hollow as they silently questioned him. Their haunted whispers filling his mind with a single unspoken question.

_Why?_

Why should he live while they died and suffered?

What made him better then them?

In the end those questions would remain unanswered.

When he stood in the veil room, facing the gruesome Death Eaters as they captured his friends one by one, their dark faces twisting with vindictive glee; all he had wished for was to run. It had been a trap, and as he looked into his friends eyes, he knew they had to blame him. It was his fault they were here, and it would be his fault if they died. Voldemort had stood proudly before him with a cold smirk on his serpentine face as he watched the hope leave his 'fated' enemy. He had cackled loudly then before pointing his wand at Harry.

They had lost.

And it was his fault.

When the Order finally arrived he had been filled with hope for one brilliant moment, for one moment he truly believed they would be saved, that they could go home, that they could all live and fight another day. All he hoped for was that this horrific night would finally be over.

Then Sirius fell through the veil.

At first, it felt as if time had stopped, Remus had lunged forward to grab him, the werewolf's fingers missing by a thread as he ran forward, barely noticing the chaos erupting around him.

Anger filled roars that seemed to reverberate in the hollow room as distant spells flashed by in the corner of his eyes. Faintly he knew his friends were screaming for him, perhaps begging him to stop.

But he couldn't, all his life he had been running.

And now?

He was tired.

He didn't want to run anymore.

Inwardly, he wondered if they would ever forgive him for this.

He felt his eyes close as the icy tendrils of the veil brushed against his skin, sending an odd chill down his spine.

Smiling softly to himself he jumped through, never once hearing the shouts of despair as everyone who loved him was forced to watch on.

* * *

On the 18th of June, 1996, the wizarding world lost their savior; Harry Potter.

After he was pronounced dead, a search of his vaults and belongs in the following days showed them all to be empty, besides a few odd books and articles of clothing, everything of his had mysteriously disappeared.

It was as if the boy had never existed.

The war would continue to rage on for many years, as the world rallied around the memory or their fallen savior; it would bring them hope against an overwhelming darkness.

When peace was finally brought to them, only one would remain that knew the truth of a certain green eyed boy.

But that; is a tale for another time.

Instead.

Somewhere far off, where a world of fickle minds and cruelty could no longer reach him, where no longer would anything be expected of him…

Harry Potter opened his eyes.

And screamed.

For as many know,

Death…

Is but the next great adventure.

* * *

**_A/N: _**_After this will officially begin Harry's new life and the end of the wizarding world for quite some time. This story will probably only take place in Forks, so don't expect to ever see any familiar faces from Harry Potter Universe. I hope that you have all enjoyed this Prologue and will continue to read this tale. Also please leave a review if you can, I love it so when I see what people think of my stories._

_Thank you._

_Till next time._


	2. Of Known Safety and Possible Threats

**_A/N: _**_A surprisingly fast update it seems. I just had to write down more of this little tale and well this is the result. I hope everyone enjoys this update and continues to read this tale. Also thank you so much for your kind reviews; they made me so happy when I read them._

_And now…_

_Onwards._

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**_Disclaimer: _**_Characters are not mine._

* * *

Harry stared up at the sky blankly as the ice cold rain hit his bare skin. The drops of liquid ice seemed to burn as they hit his body relentlessly, icy trails of pure water fell lazily down his pale and goose bumped skin. Yet despite the cold, he could not even think of sparing the energy needed to move away from it.

Instead he frowned and looked around at the deep green forest. A few of the trees had a thin layer of moss growing on them and so far he'd notice the land around him supported a vast variety of wildlife. He'd noticed some deers and rabbits grazing a fair distance away from him, and somehow he wouldn't be surprised if there were even a few bears in the area, thankfully nothing that dangerous had come across his small spot yet. His small area had a large bed of moss that he usually slept on and was covered by a few fallen trees. The ones still healthy and growing would usually offer adequate shade to him, if it was warm enough for it. Instead the forest seemed perpetually muggy, with uncomfortable moisture filling the air when the summer sun finally decided to make an appearance. Today however seemed to be going against what he was used to. A sudden storm had broken out and now the mugginess he was used to was gone, replaced instead by sharp winds and thunder as the storm raged fiercely on.

A sharp wind dislodged some gathered rain from one of the trees, making him gasp sharply as it fell on his bare back, shivering he closed his eyes and huddled his legs closer to him in a vain attempt to keep warm. The wind seemed to cut away at his weak defense and find any small pocket of warmth it could, making him instantly chilled again. His teeth started to chatter as he tried to stay warm, laying down on the drenched moss his thoughts wondered back to the strange memories constantly floating through his mind.

As if brought on by his thought alone another hazy memory floated through his mind, this time showing a large lake surrounding by deep green grass and a warm sun. It was always the same, he could see faint images, but what they were about, he hadn't the slightest clue. Since he had first woken up in the forest a week or so ago they'd been haunting him. He could remember his name, and even his age roughly, but should he try to think of something more substantial or important, it would drift away from him. He knew something had to have happened for him to be here, but the harder he tried to think of what that was; the less the knowledge would come to him. Instead his chest would start to burn and before long he would be sobbing silently from something he couldn't even remember.

Sometimes when he slept he would hear the faint sound of laughter reverberating off stone walls, or see dark bushy hair and a kind smile. Other times nightmares would fill his mind, he would dream of blood red eyes and an insane cackle as a green light headed towards him. On those night he would awake screaming, his throat burning as he screamed his voice raw. After a few nights of this, his screams soon stopped making noise, and his throat started to hurt less.

He'd quickly thought it a blessing.

He enjoyed the dreams he would have, and constantly hoped for them whenever his eyes closed, but it hurt at the same time. No matter what he thought of them, they were just dreams.

Only dreams.

Who he was before this, why he was here… he couldn't remember.

When he'd first opened his eyes his body had been filled with unimaginable pain. Liquid fire seemed to be burning its way through his very being, making everything from his bones to even his very eyelashes hurt. At times even the tears streaming down his face were too painful, and he would try in vain to close his eyes just to not feel the burn as they slid down his cheeks. After what felt like ages the pain finally stopped, with his body spasming every now and then as it remembered the abuse it had been put through.

He shook his head and frowned, barely paying attention to the moss and mud that must now be covering his tangled locks. Sometimes when he watch the sky darken from his spot in the forest, he would muse that perhaps he was abandoned here by someone. Perhaps he had been unwanted, a burden for others. These thought would always bring up images of a blurry family of three. He could not see much of them, but knew that they had looked upon him with disdain and sometimes... indifference.

It was when those memories flickered through his mind that he felt lonely. He would wonder then how it would feel to be cared for by someone, and at times he wondered if he ever was. He knew that perhaps if he moved away from his home he could find out, but he was scared to move far from his spot. The most he had moved since he first woke up was a few feet away as to not relieve himself in his home. Another wind blew harshly at his skin and he shivered as he tried his best to ignore the ongoing storm. Looking down at himself he instead concentrated on his meager belongings, his only clues on who he once was. A tattered pair of pants that clung to his thin and slender frame and a small moleskin bag tied around his neck. The bag always brought about memories of dreamy blue eyes, but its purpose was still unclear to him. He'd tried to open it a few times, but the attempts were always fruitless.

Sighing softly his nose wrinkled as the heavy downpour continued. Night was quickly falling and he sadly conceded that the storm would probably continue for a while yet. Most of the forest inhabitant had chosen to hide from the rain, and as a result his only company was a few songbirds crying out as the rain struck them.

He pulled his knees up to his chest and let his eyes close. He should try to sleep, and hopefully when he woke up next the storm would have passed. He grimaced as his stomach grumbled loudly, pulling his legs closer he tried to ignore the ever present hunger. Perhaps when he woke up again he would try to find some food. Nodding to himself he let his breathing even out and soon not even the rain could bother him as he slipped into Morpheus's realm.

* * *

Harry yipped loudly as he stood awkwardly in his new form. His front paws kept sinking into the mud and he tried to walk forward, only to stumble and have the wet dirt cover his sleek and dark coat. He had finally decided to venture out from his tree and see if there was anything for him to eat, his stomach protesting the lack of nutrition after so many days of staying by the safety of his home. He had felt reluctant to leave for even a moment at first yet soon the need for food won out any thought against it. However he couldn't help but feel so vulnerable just walking around as he was. It was then that a hazy memory came to him. A large shaggy dog with bright silver eyes with a large pink tongue hanging out of its mouth as it barked happily at him. He'd focused on the feeling the memory had given him and sighed softly at the comfort it brought him. Yet he had been completely unprepared for what happened next and gasped in surprise as his form changed. He knew he was smaller then the dog in the memory he'd seen, and wondered who the other dog had been. Those thoughts made his heart clench tightly however, so he decided against thinking of them for too long.

He rather enjoyed his new form. His fur was shorter then the other's and definitely not as tangled. From what he could see from his tail it seemed rather soft and bushy; well, when it wasn't covered in mud at least.

He whined softly as he tried to move away from the sticky and evil mud, it seemed that the more he fought against it, the more it pulled at him, and given how hungry he was, he barely had enough energy to escape. His ears flattened against his head as he slowly tried to waddle away from his doom before huffing loudly when he was finally released from the mud's nasty grip. Licking at the sludge now covering his paws he grimaced at the horrible taste, and set about to find berries or something edible to take away the taste of dirt and decay from his mouth.

As he moved through the forest he couldn't help but feel elated at the sounds of so many of its inhabitants moving about. The forest was once again alive, as the harsh rain had finally passed. A few streaks of sunlight broke through the large trees and shone softly on the dense underbrush, making the last green leaves of the season seem to glow. His ears perked when he heard the sound of rushing water and instantly he tried to scamper to it, the thought of cleaning away the filth covering him giving him an unexpected boost of energy. The small brook was refreshing and the water clean; he'd quickly jumped into the rushing water and shook his fur a few times in order to let it clean out as much as possible. After he was satisfied with his now clean coat he bent his head and began to hungrily lap at the water, just now realizing how hungry and thirty he had truly been.

The cool water was refreshing for his parched throat and he almost made himself sick with how much of it he'd drunk. After a while the chill of the water finally became too much for him and he decided to look around for something edible. He stilled when a loud crash sounded through the forest. Everything seemed to have gone deathly silent as he tried to listen to what could have made that noise. He felt his heart thumping erratically in his chest as an inhuman growl reached his ears. Whimpering softly he ran back to his home. He desperately hoped that whatever predator that had been, that they wouldn't find his tree. His stomach growled weakly and he mentally decided to maybe try and find something to eat tomorrow.

Perhaps whatever had been hunting today would be gone by then.

* * *

Harry tilted his head as he curiously eyed the large russet coloured wolf watching him. He had heard it as it bounded close to his tree; its heavy paws seeming to shake the surrounding earth as it moved towards him with incredible speed. He was apprehensive about allowing it to see him and tried to run away, but his choice was quickly taken from him when the wolf ran into his small clearing.

He had stayed still then, expecting it to attack him, but surprisingly it seemed content just to watch him. Whenever he tried to move away, it would whine softly to get his attention, yet it had done nothing threatening towards him. He didn't know what to make of it. Sighing softly he wondered if perhaps this was the strange creature he'd heard last week, then again it didn't sound inhuman to him at the moment, rather more like an overgrown dog.

He snorted softly as it laid it's large head on it's front paws, two large brown eyes were intently watching him just as he watched the creature. He smiled hesitantly; the wolf hadn't attacked him yet, and in fact seemed quite friendly. He watched as its muscle's seemed to flex under its thick fur, it wasn't aiming to attack him at this moment in any rate. Idly he wondered how its fur would feel between his hands.

A burst of courage filled him as he took a hesitant step forward. He had been spending most of his days now in his other form, and walking was quickly becoming strange for him. The wolf picked its large head up slightly but made no other move towards him. Carefully he reached out a pale hand towards the great beast before smiling as it allowed him to pet it. The fur was surprisingly soft between his fingers and warm. Gaining more confidence he nuzzled his cheek against the wolf, enjoying the warmth that seemed to radiate from it. He yawned as he felt himself tire and reluctantly moved away from the wolf, not trusting it to stay docile should he fall asleep. It seemed almost disappointed that he had stopped petting it and began to lap at his fingers making him giggle silently.

He paused in his fun when he heard a tree branch break. His body stilled as he looked around to try and discover what had made the noise. The wolf beside him started whining softly but he could barely hear it as he tried to find the source of the noise.

His eyes narrowed when he caught someone heading his way, they were moving slowly, as if to let him know of their approach. His chest quickly filled with fear. He didn't know what they would want, what if they tried to take him away from his tree, what if they put him somewhere dark? A blurry memory suddenly flashed through his mind. He shivered as he felt himself locked in a small space, a few spiders crawling around him for company. He shook his head wildly; he didn't want to go back there, he didn't want to!

Barely paying the loudly whining wolf any mind he broke into a run away from the strange figure. The man shouted at him as he ran but he didn't pay it any mind as he concentrated on escaping. Faintly he wondered why the wolf wasn't chasing after him like prey after his sudden movements.

He clenched his teeth as he run through the forest, dodging broken branches and hanging vines.

He wouldn't let them take him.

Besides…

Who knows what they would do to him?

Who would want a fr- after all?

He shook his head and gasp in relief when he saw a small opening under one of the moss covered trees, quickly slipping into his other form he ran into it and burrowed as far back as possible.

He held his breath when not even a moment later the sound of someone running near his hiding spot was heard. He could hear them curse under their breath as they moved around him.

"Did you find him?" He frowned when he heard a deep voice sound from the other direction. The person near him moved away. "No, I have no idea how he could have disappeared so fast!"

His ears perked as he heard their surprisingly bare feet rustle the dead leaves on the ground. "But he was just a kid, and he wasn't… one of them was he?"

The other speaker seemed to growl. "Of course not! He looked so skinny and lost out here Sam! Who knows how long he's been here before we noticed?"

They moved around again, seeming to check the area for him. His eyes narrowed when he saw them bend down to check if he was hiding behind a bush or somewhere else. Finally the older sounding one released a heavy sigh as he seemingly gave up on their fruitless search. "If we don't find him soon, we'll involve the cops, I just don't want to scare the kid by having too many people chasing him."

The younger sounding of the two snorted. "If he wasn't afraid of me, I doubt he would be afraid of a few cops."

"That's not the same Jacob, he might be more used to animals depending on how long he was out here, but if someone left him here…"

The younger sighed sadly. "It would explain why he ran when he noticed you…"

Getting curious he carefully crawled to the opening of his hiding space and sagged in relief as he saw the two start to walk off. He whined softly at the thought of others coming for him. Maybe they'll let it go; maybe if he stayed hidden long enough they would just let him be.

He liked his tree, he liked the forest, and most of all… he didn't want to leave.

He whimpered softly before curling up and closing his eyes, his tail providing added comfort as it curled around him.

Hopefully, he'll be left alone soon enough.

He tried to ignore how much that though made his chest hurt.

* * *

**_A/N: _**_I hoped everyone enjoyed this rather fast update. The idea just kept bothering me until I had to write it down. Harry is a bit unsteady at the moment but perhaps things will get better once he leaves his little safety net. Thank you again for all your lovely reviews and please do leave one if you enjoyed this tale so far, they truly make me happy. Also i apologize for any spelling errors you may encounter, I usually edit these myself and sometimes worry over the quality._

_Thank you._

_Till next time._


	3. The Price Of Loneliness

**_A/N: _**_I'm truly worrying myself with how much this story is capturing my attention, yet at the same time I do hope everyone is enjoying this tale. Also thank you all for your kind reviews, they do make my day to see them, I must admit._

_On another topic, it won't be too noticeable, but I changed the timeline of certain events and pushed them back. Here Bella came to forks when she was sixteen at the beginning of the school year where halfway through James and the rest came along and we all know what happened there. I then made it where the Cullen's disappeared for the rest of the year for Bella's safety and so the Italy fiasco happened in early summer. Again this won't be too obvious, but I thought everyone would like to know this before they become confused in some parts of the story._

_There's a few more thing to mentioned, but it will be after this part of the tale is done, for now I hope everyone enjoys this next installment._

_And now…_

_Onwards._

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**_Disclaimer: _**_Characters are not mine._

* * *

Harry whined quietly to himself as he walked around the dense forest, its muddy paths making weird squelching noises with every step he took. It had been several weeks now since those strange men had come after him, and still they seemed intent on finding him, much to his displeasure. Sometimes he would see them in a group as they combed through the forest calling out for him, though he would always make sure to stay in his other form in those times, not knowing just what they planned to do if they found him.

When he would scour the forest for something to eat, he would even see that nice russet coloured wolf prowling about, sometimes alone, and other times with members that were probably part of its pack. Yet no matter how tame the wolf had been in their initial meeting, he was too nervous to go near the great beast again, not knowing if it may change its mind on attacking him should it catch sight of him again. It was a wolf after all, and all things considered he was still rather surprised it hadn't tried to eat him the first time around. He frowned to himself, maybe he simply didn't look appetizing enough?

His stomach started to grumble pitifully as his mind wondered once more to the thought of food; gritting his teeth he pressed a too thin arm to his stomach in a feeble attempt to ignore the now constant pain. He had tried to find enough food whenever it was possible, but with hiding from the wolves and men, it was quickly becoming a hopeless venture, at this rate he didn't know how much longer he could go on without proper substance. While some days he would be lucky enough to find a patch of berries growing about, they were starting to become fewer and far between, more often then not he would rely on water to fill him up and take away the hunger pangs for a short while.

Huffing from the effort of walking he pushed on through the odd path he'd recently found. The forest was denser here, and made him harder to spot in his human form, usually he wouldn't risk it, but this path would take up too much energy in his other form, and that was energy he couldn't afford to waste. This land was quite a bit away from his home. After he noticed how much they all seemed focused on the area near his beloved tree, he decided it would be for the best to leave, if only for a short while. His heart grew heavy at the thought of not being able to see his home like before, but he was still hoping they would leave him be once they realized they wouldn't find him. He looked around curiously at the odd path. It had been well used at one point, though now he could tell it had been a while since anyone had ventured out here. Grass had quickly covered the once dirt path and he could even see small trees budding around the area. Every now and then he would see a faded shoeprint, but they were old enough that he doubted he would be disturbed here. A few songbirds were flying lazily around the area and the forest here seemed buzzing with life as crickets chirped loudly from the late summer heat.

He sniffed the air curiously to see if there was any food near him. He had started to notice early on how the more time he spent in his other form; the more it would affect him when he was human. His sense of smell had greatly improved, along with his eyesight, and sometimes he could even hear better then before, though it would fluctuate from time to time. He paused and could have yipped happily when he smelled some fresh berries nearby. Focusing on the promise of food instead of the strain that this excursion was causing his already weak body he almost cried out in relief when he came upon a large and open clearing. Large white flowers were scattered all around, making for a scenic view; however all he could pay attention to was the large blueberry bush just at the edge of the clearing. Dropping to his knees he hungrily began to tear the sweet and juicy berries from their stems. The dark blue juices flowed down his dirty fingers, making the air smell sharp and sweet from the spilled juice as he eagerly ate his fill of the berries. He barely paid it any mind how his pale skin was dyed a dark blue from the spilled berries, or how his pants were ruined even more, all he was desperate for was the nourishment he had been denied since he first came to this forest.

So lost was he in enjoying his small treat that he barely even heard the twig break, announcing to anyone present that he was no longer alone. His body grew taunt as his eyes warily zoomed across the clearing before landing on a young girl, who seemed honestly surprised at seeing him there. She was rather average in looks, yet still pretty in her own right. Her long brown hair was shiny and well cared for, he was surprised to note that her large rather doe like eyes were the same colour. While her skin was pale, he could easily say his was more so, and it matched her in an odd way. She smiled nervously when she saw him and began to shift her weight from foot to foot.

He frowned and wondered if she would try to attack him, narrowing his eyes just in case she made any fast movement he started to move away from her, wanting to put as much distance between them as possible. He paused in his movements when his stomach started to growl loudly; looking back at the berry bush he couldn't help but despair at the thought of leaving behind such a lovely food source. Glancing towards the girl again he started to quickly grab some berries and shoved them in the pockets of his tattered pants for later.

The girl blushed rather darkly when she heard his stomach before frowning when she saw him shove as many berries into his ragged pockets that he could. She gasp softly as something seemed to click in her mind. "Oh you must be hungry aren't you?" He paused in his actions and frowned as he watched her remove the book bag she had been carrying. Looking at him she smiled in a friendly manner before opening a small container, showing him a delicious looking sandwich. "Here, you can have this if you like."

He narrowed his eyes and didn't move from his spot, still wary of her intentions. Why would she offer him food after all? What if it was just a trick?

She seemed to understand his hesitance for the next moment she'd slapped her forehead loudly. "Of course you would be scared." She muttered softly. She sighed sadly and shook her head, her long locks swaying around her as she did so. He watched her movements in detached fascination before eyeing his own tangled locks. They were filled with moss and leaves and slightly muddy since he hadn't found a good brook to wash in for the past few days. He frowned and tried to copy her movements before pouting when his hair didn't move as hers, rather it just seemed to grow messier. He looked up sharply when he heard soft laughter coming from the girl. She blushed faintly under his sharp gaze. "Oh sorry! I wasn't trying to make fun of you! It's just- erm I never saw anyone do something like that before." She grinned at him and showed him the food she was carrying again. "Do you want to come over here and try some? I promise it's very yummy." Seeing his look of distrust she rolled her eyes before taking a bite of the sandwich she'd packed earlier and moaned in delight as she chewed it, trying to show him it wasn't a trap. "See? It's good!"

Harry sniffed the air warily and frowned when his stomach started to rumble loudly, the food she was carrying did smell delicious, and she did seem ok after eating it… Hesitantly he stood up and shakily walked towards her, his legs protesting the effort with each step. She smiled encouragingly at him and didn't make any fast moves as he came near her. Seeing that she wouldn't be a danger, at least for the moment he tried to smile to her before sitting down awkwardly next to her. She grinned at him and slowly offered him the sandwich. "See? That wasn't too bad now was it?"

Harry tilted his head at her question before focusing on the potential food near him. Watching her through his bangs, he carefully reached for the sandwich before swiping it quickly from its container and forcing as much of it into his mouth as possible. The different flavors were so unlike the berries that he'd gotten used to eating and he'd almost choked from trying to fit too much of it in his mouth at once. Grimacing he tried to take smaller bites, not wanting to throw up and waste the food not that he finally had it.

* * *

Bella's eyes widened in alarm as the strange boy practically killed himself trying to eat the whole sandwich. "Whoa slow down! It's not going anywhere!" She tried to joke lightly as he coughed weakly and settled for smaller bites. She frowned as she tried to get a better look at him. His hair was a tangled mess, and she was faintly positive that it was starting to grow its own forest. Sadly Jacob hadn't been lying when he'd mentioned how the unknown boy they'd seen was all skin and bones. She could clearly see his ribs, and she was positive he was almost as pale as the Cullen's under all that dirt and grime. He looked too young to be out here all alone and she had to wonder just what type of despicable people would leave someone out in the woods like this?

In all honesty she hadn't really expected to find him when she ventured to her old spot. The Cullen's had just settled back in their home after the Italy fiasco, and since Alice was busy in Seattle with Rosalie, she'd decided to go hiking. Normally she would invite Jacob to join her in these little excursions, but the whole pack was focused at the moment on finding the lost boy. Her father was the same, it rubbed most of the cops the wrong way that they had a missing child hiding in their own forest, they usually prided themselves on keeping the peace here, not that anything really drastic happened in Forks. So it hit them hard to know someone was out here, her dad seemed to grow more morose from the news when Sam warned that the boy could possibly have been abused, since he had ran from them so quickly. In such a short time he was really making news here, and almost everyone knew of him, though it wasn't helping much in the search effort.

Thus she had honestly been shocked to see him hunched over a berry bush, practically attacking the poor plant, though she did secretly admit his messy face did look somewhat adorable with the juice from the berries splattered around it. In a way she found it ironic that she would find him, after all, she seemed like a magnet for anything weird that came to Forks. He hadn't talked to her yet, which was more then a bit worrying, but he did seem to understand her, or at least he knew that she wouldn't take the food she'd offered away from him.

She sighed softly and wondered how she would be able to convince him to come with her to either Jacob or her father. Jacob had mentioned that the boy didn't seem afraid of his wolf form, and she took the fact that he was close to her as a sign that he didn't find her too threatening either. She snorted inwardly and peeked at him as he happily ate her sandwich, maybe the saying about food was right after all.

Shaking her head she tried to come up with a plan. How was it that on the day she needed help the most, no one was around? It was just her luck, know all about supernatural creatures that could help, but not have them present when you actually needed them.

Sometimes being human sucked.

She couldn't help but grin when she noticed that the mysterious boy had finally finished the sandwich. He pouted and looked at his hands longingly before licking his fingers for any crumbs he could find. It made her heart hurt to know that her sandwich was probably the first meal he's had in sometime.

After he was finished, and deemed his fingers cleared of food, he looked up at her with surprisingly large green eyes as if begging for more nourishment. For the first time in her life she wished she was a bigger eater. She smiled at him sadly and shook her head. "Sorry that's all I had with me." His small shoulders seemed to slump and his attention was quickly drawn back to the berry bush he'd been snacking on earlier. She cursed inwardly, knowing that if she let him run off it could be a while before someone found him again. "So! Erm… what's your name?" She asked him quickly, sighing in relief when he turned his attention back to her. He blinked owlishly at her before tilting his head to the side, his dirty locks falling limply on his face.

She frowned at his lack of response before coming up with an idea, trying not to blush at how ridiculous she was about to look she put her hands to her chest. "I'm Bella." She smiled encouragingly at him before pointing her hands at him, vaguely reminded of that Tarzan movie she'd watched as a child. "What's your name?"

At first, the boy just stared at her blankly before seeming to realize what she was asking him. He frowned and furrowed his brow as he tried to mouth something at her. She frowned sadly as she realized that for some reason or other, he couldn't speak. Mentally she hoped that it wasn't caused by any possible abuse. Biting her bottom lip she looked around for an idea on how to communicate better with the stranger, before smiling happily when she found a sharp looking rock near them. Picking it up she grinned at the curious boy and wrote out her name in the mud. Wiping her hands on her jeans to get rid of the mud now covering them she pointed at the letters she'd etched into the soil. "That's my name, I'm Bella." She smiled softly before handing him the rock. "Now what's yours?"

She was awarded with a hesitant smile for her efforts before the boy began to write, albeit shakily, his name next to her own. Leaning over her eyes narrowed as she tried to read the messy scrawl before smiling brightly. "Harry..?" She chuckled softly as he nodded enthusiastically at her. "Well, it's nice to meet you Harry."

* * *

"Well, it's nice to meet you Harry." Harry smiled brightly at the strange girl next to him. She seemed rather nice, though he inwardly thought he may be just a tad bias given that she had fed him delicious food.

After their extremely odd name game she seemed intent on asking him tons of random questions. After just nodding to whatever she said to placate her he grew bored of it all and allowed his attention to wonder. Now that he wasn't practically dying of hunger he decided to look around the large clearing they were in. He could honestly admit the area was nice. Though he did feel a little guilty when he realized how the flourishing forest garden seemed better then his tree, more comfortable as well. The sun was warm and comforting here, and with the soft wind blowing by every now and then he couldn't help but feel relax. The girl, Bella, seemed to notice his lack of attention after a while and simply smiled as she looked around them. "It's nice isn't it? The flowers are pretty hardy and they usually last till the end of the season." She leaned over and plucked one of the flowers closest to them, a soft smile playing on her lips before she grinned and offered him the plant. "Do you like them?" Harry blinked at her before hesitantly sniffing the flower, it didn't have any thorns like other's he'd come across and actually produced a faint but sweet smell, the scent seemed to wash over him and fill him with comfort and love. All of a sudden a faint image appeared in his mind of an older woman with bright red hair and kind green eyes. He smiled warmly and decided right then and there that he liked these flowers. Looking back at Bella he nodded in agreement.

Bella smiled and started to hum softly under her breath as she relaxed more in the clearing. She seemed rather odd to him with all the attention she paid him, but he didn't really mind since she wasn't trying to take him from his home like the others had tried to. He decided he might even show her his tree once those strange people left.

As long as she gave him more of those delicious sandwiches of course.

He yawned loudly and relaxed on the soft grass, he had been having a lot of nightmares lately, and sleep was quickly becoming a thing of the past. Looking at Bella warily he hoped she wouldn't attack him should he sleep near her. She seemed to notice his hesitance and instead smiled warmly at him. "Don't mind me; you can nap if you want." She pulled out a rather large book from her bag. "I'll just be here reading."

He yawned again and nodded. The warm sun almost acted like a blanket on his skin. Snuggling into the grass he held the flower she'd given him close as he let his breathing slowly even out. His mind started to wonder as he slowly started to succumb to sleep. He liked Bella and the yummy food she'd brought him; inwardly he started to hope that she would still be in the clearing when he woke up.

This time when he slipped into Morpheus's realm, instead of blood red eyes, a stone castle greeted him along with hazy faces and warm smiles.

For the first time in ages, Harry felt like he was home.

* * *

Bella hummed softly as she tried to concentrate on the words of Jane Austen instead of the boy sleeping innocently next to her. She'd been trying to think of a way to let her father or Jacob know that she'd found him without alerting or scaring off Harry, but so far she'd had little luck. He seemed so sweet, though a bit lost at times, which could easily be explained away with him being out here for who knows how long. She sighed sadly and shook her head; she just couldn't believe that someone would really leave him out here, or that it took so long for anyone to notice. She knew Jacob had definitely not expected to find him when he was patrolling around the Quileute area, and it had been an utter shock to him to see the obviously starving boy just look at him curiously. As soon as he caught sight of him he had instantly alerted Sam and waited for his pack leader to come by and help to bring the boy out of the woods. There had been a storm a few nights before and both of them had been worried that the young boy may fall ill because of it, especially when Jacob showed them how the boy only wore a tattered pair of pants, definitely not something that could help against the elements. Yet despite their best attempts, somehow he had easily escaped from them.

They had tried to find him for a few days on their own while in their wolf forms but after having no luck, they finally decided that more help was needed and had asked for her father's help. The cops weren't doing much better since there was only so far they could go into the forest, to the point that she often found her father asleep on the kitchen table, trying to figure out ways that they could find the poor boy. After seeing this was going to become a daily thing she had finally offered to ask the Cullen's for their help, but the wolves had been adamant against it, still not trusting the blood suckers.

She sighed sadly as her thought drifted back to Edward. It seemed like their past relationship was just a whirlwind romance, the more she took to heart Rosalie's talk, the more she realized she had just been enamored with the idea of being a vampire without giving anything else much thought. It still embarrassed her greatly that it took Edward leaving her for her to finally come to her senses. She had her own life ahead of her, and the thought that she almost threw it all away for a boy she'd known for less then a year made her feel uneasy.

It seems she was more like her mother then she had thought. That thought really depressed her.

After bringing Edward back from Italy they both had talked extensively about how they felt and realized they were both in love for the wrong reasons. Edward had fallen for her because of her smell and since he couldn't read her mind, while she had foolishly fallen for him because of his mystery and what he could bring her.

Simply put, their relationship hadn't been healthy.

And that was saying something considering that he was a vampire.

Rosalie had been smug about it for weeks on end and wouldn't let it go that she had been right, to the point that both of them had taken to trying (and usually failing) to hit her with paint ball guns just to get her to shut up about it. While they knew a future together wouldn't happen, they were perfectly fine being friends, with precaution of course.

She still didn't want to end up as a snack, no matter how small that chance was.

So far, things had finally started to settle in her rather crazy life, and she had jokingly wondered what sort of adventure they would have come junior year since things just seemed too quiet for a town filled with the supernatural.

Looking at the boy next to her, she inwardly started cursing her luck; and mentally swore she would stop tempting fate.

It really couldn't be that healthy after all.

She was shaken out of her idle musings by a soft chime. Smiling she picked up her phone and sighed in relief when the small boy only twitched softly at the noise, but stayed sleeping.

"Bella?"

She almost jumped in excitement when she heard Jacob on the other line, maybe this day would end on a good note after all. "Jacob!" Lowering her voice as to not wake the boy near her she whispered into the phone. "I erm… I might have a problem…"

She almost pouted when she heard him groan loudly. She couldn't be that bad could she? "What is it now Bells?"

"Well… you know that boy everyone has been looking for?"

That seemed t capture his attention, she could practically see him sit up and look around in attention at her words. She snickered inwardly at the silly thought. "Seriously! You found him?"

She glared at the phone. "You don't have to sound so shocked about it!" Pausing she moved a bit away to make sure her conversation didn't disturb Harry while he slept. "Though really it was more like he found me, I went to my clearing and saw him eating some berries; he looked so hungry Jacob…"

Jacob sighed sadly. "Yea, we didn't think he would be eating much, there's not much food growing in the forest at this time of year."

She nodded even while knowing he couldn't see her. "I offered him some food and now he's just sleeping next to me." She smiled as the boy scrunched up his nose in his sleep. "So far I found out his name is Harry but not much else. So umm… mind helping me out here?"

She couldn't hold her grin at Jacob's loud and relief filled laugh. "I just can't believe he's finally been found. Just let me tell Sam and I'll head right over, we've all been worrying about him like crazy over here in the reservation."

She smiled in relief. "Yea, Charlie has too, he's been losing sleep over the fact that they still haven't found him till now."

She heard Jacob yell something in the background, most likely telling Sam what she'd mentioned. "Ok Bells, I'm going to head there now, try to keep him with you got it?"

She nodded. "Will do."

They both hung up and she quickly turned her attention to the sleeping boy.

Hopefully this would be the end of their mystery resident, and things could finally go back to normal.

She really should stop speaking too soon.

* * *

Harry whimpered silently as he woke. His vision was hazy and all he could see was odd and frightening shapes near him. A distorted voice sounded from near him and he silently screamed as he noticed the strange creature approach him. Its face twisted into a menacing sneer.

He stumbled backwards and tried to move away from the beast before realizing to his horror that his body wasn't obeying his commands.

Shaking he tried to crawl away, desperately wondering what had happened to Bella and the clearing he'd been sleeping in. Instead it was as if he'd been transported into his very nightmares, with strange shaped creatures just waiting to devour him whole.

A few tears slid down his face as he tried to stand. The world started to spin for a moment and he whimpered again when he noticed the strange creature was still approaching him, its pale fingers quickly growing into bone like claws.

Hoping that his body would obey him this time he broke into a frantic run.

Strange monsters kept grabbing at him with their dark claws and he hissed in pain when he felt small wounds open up all over his body. Turning into his smaller form he almost cried in relief when the monsters could no longer reach him so easily.

Strange and frightening sounds seemed to fill the very air around him as he ran forward shakily, all sorts of strange and fantastical beast would seemingly appear out of no where and began to attack him, as they pulled at his dark coat and made him bleed even more.

He whimpered loudly as he ran as fast as possible, his paws pushing him past the creatures at a quick and steady rate. Yet no matter how fast he ran the monsters seemed to be closing in on him and he was quickly losing the energy needed to escape from their vicious grasp.

He whined loudly when his front paw caught on something harshly, making a sickening crack sound in the dark forest. Whimpering loudly as a sharp pain shot through him he fell and stumbled down, his body roughing smacking against one of the dark creatures. Closing his eyes in acceptance he waited as the monsters finally closed in on him.

* * *

Bella watched nervously as Jacob cursed up a storm, his body shaking as he paced back and forth. Normally she would find such a thing hilarious, but given why he was so angry, she couldn't even bring herself to chuckle.

"Where did he go?!" Jacob gestured angrily around the clearing. "It hasn't been that long since you called me!"

She sighed sadly and worried her bottom lip. "I don't know! He was sleeping and looked fine while we were talking then he woke up and panicked. It was like he couldn't even see me." She looked up at the shape shifter nervously. "He didn't look too well then, and he could barely even walk right." She ran a hand through her long brown locks. "I just don't know what could have happened."

Jacob took a deep breathe and tried to control his anger, it wouldn't do to get mad at Bella for something she couldn't control. "Ok think Bells, what could have set him off, did you notice anything, anything at all that could explain why he suddenly ran from here like a bat out of hell?"

She frowned and tried to think back on their earlier interaction before slowly shaking her head. "He was wary of me at first, but after I gave him my sandwich he was fine." She turned her head thoughtfully. "Though he did still want to eat those berries…"

Jacob stilled and looked at her with an odd expression. "What berries were he eating Bella?" He asked calmly, too calmly in fact.

She frowned nervously as an uneasy feeling started to fill her stomach. Looking at the too still shape shifter she slowly pointed at the bush growing near the edge of the clearing. "Erm… those…"

Her panic started to grow when she noticed just how pale Jacob was getting. She followed him as he all but ran to the berries and began to inspect them before cursing loudly again.

He turned to her with eyes filled with worry. "Call your father and tell him to get an ambulance ready."

She paled as her hands started to shake. "Why Jacob…"

He stood up and breathed loudly, his body shaking erratically as he tried to control his wolf from appearing and going berserk. "Those berries were poisonous… if we don't find him in a few hours…" He left off the sentence, knowing she would understand just how dire their situation had become.

She almost dropped her phone as she dialed her father's number. She looked up at him with wide fear filled eyes. All she could think about was those innocent green eyes that had been staring at her as the smaller boy ate the food she offered him. Who knows how long he'd been eating them before she appeared, and she just sat their calmly while he slowly died in front of her. Her stomach turned at the thought and she cursed herself for waiting to alert anyone.

She nodded shakily at him and tried to concentrate on dialing her dad's number. "Are you going to alert the other wolves?"

He nodded, not trusting himself to speak to much as he tried to control himself. "This is blood sucker territory, but I don't think they would mind if we came here for this." With that he ran and quickly turned into his wolf form, dark russet coloured fur seeming to burst onto his deadly form as he ran through the forest.

She fell shakily to her legs as she heard a soft click on the other line.

"Bella what's wrong?"

She swallowed thickly as she heard Jacob howl, it sounded desperate and pleading as he tried to capture the attention of the other wolves. Idly she wondered what the Cullen's were going to think of this once it was all over.

Trying not to think of the prone and still form of her potential friend as he lay somewhere lost and alone in the forest she turned her attention back to her now worried father.

"Dad…" She started before trying to pull herself together. "There's a problem…"

* * *

**_A/N: _**_I honestly think I'm going a bit mad by updating this story so quickly, hope no one minds… well, next chapter the vampires will be officially introduced, I hope everyone enjoys that. Also, as you could tell, I'm not much of a basher, and while I utterly despised how Bella was portrayed in the movies, I honestly didn't have much of a problem with her in the books, which is how she will be for the duration of the story; albeit a bit more mature at times…_

_So please don't expect her to suddenly turn into a harpy from hell, heck, you may even enjoy her character… (if only slightly) also I know I mentioned this before, but this story will be slash, though I'm not too sure on the official paring at the moment, it will be decided eventually._

_ For anyone curious it will either be EC/HP, JB/HP, or just because I don't see them done too often, JB/EC/HP. In each pairing Harry will be the submissive partner, since I have trouble seeing him as a top, if anyone wishes to throw in their own opinions, by all means do so. _

_On a final note, to make this tale work better, I took away the wolves imprinting, it will be explained later, but instead the wolves have someone who could be a potential mate, and if they choose them, it will be for life. I'm not too fond of the idea of them instantly falling in love with someone without even knowing the other's name and would much rather them get to know their potential lover instead. _

_That's all there is to mention for now and thank you again for the wonderful reviews! Please do leave me some more if you enjoyed the chapter, I must admit they have become the highlight of my day at times, it's so wonderful when I see that others have enjoyed these tales._

_Thank you._

_Till next time._


	4. As the Final Grain Falls

**_A/N: _**_Wow, I'm literally stunned by the amazing response I received for the last chapter; I'm also surprised to note that most of you seem to prefer it to be a threesome pairing. It'll be a while yet before I actually set down on the relationship, so if anyone wants to add their opinion, by all means do so. Also I just wanted to mention once more for anyone confused that I will not be using imprinting in my story, so Jacob will have a chance with Harry, the wolves have something else to find a mate which will be explained in more detail as the story progresses. _

_Once again thank you all for the wonderful reviews, they were amazing to see and brought about countless amounts of smiles to me, I dearly hope you all enjoy this next installment._

_And now…_

_Onwards._

* * *

**_Disclaimer: _**_ Characters not mine._

* * *

Bounding through the forest at a rapid pace, Jacob could have wept in relief when he heard half of the pack answered his panic filled howl. As soon as they all shifted their minds became instantly connected, thoughts and memories not belonging to him were held in the back of his mind unless one of the wolves started to speak. He paused and sniffed and the earth again, growling lowly at the odd scent of Harry's. Usually humans all had their own special scent to them. Bella smelled like strawberries from the shampoo she would use, his father of sage. Harry though… he smelled like rain, fresh and new as the tiny drops of water fell down from the heavens and into their world, yet there was something else to his scent, something he could not place no matter how much he tried. He paused in his musings when one of the thought chains seemed to glow and become more prominent in his mind. Concentrating on it the voice of Sam soon came through.

_'Did something happen to the boy Jacob?' _The alpha asked him with worry clearly laced through his words. Sam had been taking it extremely hard that they hadn't found the strange boy yet, though that could easily be said for most of the pack. Sam liked to protect, even if sometimes he made the wrong decisions by doing so. Thus when they had lost the boy in the forest, he had become almost frantic in the search; and a feeling of helplessness soon became constant around him as his wolf began to question his abilities. In time the rest of the pack came to share in the worry. Though they may not have personally seen Harry, the memories Jacob possessed of the thin wraith was more then enough for them to become perturbed at what his arrival in Forks could signify. They all hoped to get a shot at the ones responsible for leaving him in the woods all alone.

It was strange in a way, but they acted almost as if he was part of the pack with their worry, no matter how impossible such a thing was.

Jacob whined softly, even while knowing they were too far off to hear it._ 'He ate some poison berries Sam.' _He pawed at the ground sadly as his mind began racing with worry on Harry's wellbeing. _'I don't know how long it's been, but he was already getting into the worst stages with Bella.'_

He heard Sam curse loudly through their link and flattened his ear against his head, while the words were only spoken mentally, sometimes when they allowed their emotions to come through it could cause a bit of pain for the one receiving. They had learn this the hard way with Paul, as it had taken the most volatile member of their pack some training before he finally stopped causing them headaches with his immense anger. One of the other links began to glow and soon the calming and soft voice of Quil could be heard in his mind.

_'Hopefully his body has built up a bit of resistance to the toxins' _Quil began before sending out a wave of calm. He had easily accepted his wolf form, and used it to his advantage when it came to making sure no one became too controlled by their emotions. Jacob's tense shoulders almost sagged when the calming aura hit him, and it was only then that he realized how close he had been to losing Harry's scent by panicking. _'If not we should easily be able to find him, his body won't be able to work properly with the toxin's in it, he'll be leaving us an easy trail to follow.'_

The wolves started to murmur in agreement, and for a moment the links all glowed brightly. He could have grinned, they were almost here, soon they would be able to find Harry and finally this nightmare would be over with. The kid wouldn't be lost and alone in the forest anymore, but rather with people that wouldn't harm him and instead would care for him.

They would make sure of that.

He paused when Harry's scent disappeared for a moment. Growing frantic he sniffed the surrounding area before pausing in confusion and bewilderment. Some of the branches were broken and carried a faint metallic smell to it, sadly showing that the small teen had wounded himself in his delirious state. Yet at one point all the damage he was causing by running into stray branches seemed to just disappeared, along with his scent. Narrowing his eyes he sniffed the ground again and grew more confused then before. Now he could only faintly smell the scent of rain that Harry's body seemed to exude, but that odd smell, the one he couldn't place, was stronger, more dominant than Harry's previous scent. He had no idea what to make of it, nothing could change their scent, it just wasn't possible. He huffed in annoyance at the mystery before deciding to put it out of his mind for now, the pack as a whole could discuss it later. For now, they simply needed to find Harry before it became too late. He tilted his head in to the side and listened closely as the forest seemed to grow silent; the sound of thundering steps as the pack's mighty paws hit the earth at astounding speeds alerted him that it wouldn't be too long now before he was joined by his brothers.

Branches cracked under their immense weight and soon enough worried howls sounded through the air. Almost instantly he felt a feeling of completeness as his pack joined him. Left over from their ancestors of old, a feeling of spirit and unity would always fill them when they were all united. It was then that they truly felt and understood their powers and gifts; they were truly a pack once together, united in blood and spirit. Looking over at the wolves that had now joined him he slowly walked over to their alpha and bowed his head in a show of respect. He did not bow as low as the others, for even if he was not ready to accept the responsibility, both Sam and he were Alpha's and as such both were of the same rank.

Sam accepted the show of respect before looking around the area, trying to pick up Harry's scent as well. He looked through the link and grew surprised at how the scent had changed.

_'That shouldn't be possible.'_

Jacob nodded before going back to the trail, Harry's scent was growing a bit faint, but there was enough that they should be able to follow it still. _'I'm not too sure on how it happened, but the second scent is growing fainter the more I follow the trail.' _He looked up at his alpha in worry. _'We should follow it quickly, I'm not sure for how much longer it'll last, and this could be our last chance in finding him.' _He whined lowly at the thought of not being able to save the ebony haired boy, it left a sinking feeling in his stomach.

Sam understood his worry and gently butted their noses together. _'We'll find him Jacob, we have a scent, and we won't lose him this time.' _He barked loudly to get the attention of the rest of the pack, all of which were fascinated by Harry's odd scent. _"We're to follow the scent trail, if at any moment it grows faint don't panic and continue to see if you can see the boy. We'll shift back immediately then, be careful not to be too close to him, I don't want him startled in this state.' _

Embry pawed at the earth nervously. _'We're kind of far in the forest right? How are we going to get him to the ambulance in time?' _He flattened his ears on his head and looked around in worry. _'Who knows how much the poison has affected him by now…'_

Sam growled at him angrily, causing him to yelp and back away. _'If you think like that you might as well give up! We are the strongest! We will save him in time!'_

Embry shook before bowing his head lowly on the ground. _"Forgive me alpha.'_

Sam looked away and quickly ordered them to spread out but keep in mind the scent.

Following the trail Jacob took off in a fast run, with Seth just behind him. The smaller wolf yipped happily at him.

_'Don't worry Jake! We're hero's, it'll be a cinch to find him!'_

Jacob snorted at the analogy but kept his mind on finding Harry. Hero's or not, there was no way he would allow the teen to die.

He grinned mentally when he heard the pack howl in agreement.

Today, they would finally bring Harry back where he truly belonged.

* * *

Bella cursed as she slipped and fell down the steep incline again. Normally when she went down the clearing she would take the nice and gradual path down. It was scenic and filled with things to capture her attention, especially in the fall when the leaves finally changed colours to brilliant scarlet reds or to dazzling golden yellows. Not to mention the path was so worn down it was almost impossible for her to fall and become injured.

Unless of course she was being particularly clumsy that day, then even an innocent strand of grass could spell her imminent doom.

Today however, she had no time to waste on such luxury. After an utterly taxing phone conversation with her father; during which she was still uncertain on who was panicking the most, she had decided to meet him near the edge of the woods by the ambulance. Once she had told him of the accidental poisoning, he had been completely set on trying to find Harry himself and finally bring the young teen to safety. But thankfully he had backed down once she had assured him that Jacob and the others were already looking for him.

She was quite thankful that he's agreed with her so easily. Since there was simply no way on earth that she wanted to explain to her extremely overprotective father just how it was possible for a normal teenage boy to transform into a ferocious vampire killing wolf, who also just happened to be capable of breaking her hand with even the weakest of punches.

She'd rather skip that particular conversation with her father, thank you very much.

After they had finally agreed on a course of action, she'd decided to hurry down the more dangerous of the two paths. Normally she would avoid it at all cost, the loose rocks and gravel were easy to slip on, more so since the mud and dead leaves made them especially slick. The path was also filled with overgrown tree roots that managed to break up the trail so that she had to climb over them along with her having to try and avoid any of the various offending braches that seemed intent on pulling and ultimately destroying her plaid over shirt. But despite all of these little annoyances, this somewhat dangerous route was the fastest way out of the forest. And by this point, she didn't mind a few cuts or bruises as long as it meant getting down to her father and finding out if Harry had been found yet.

She frowned when she heard a few howls sound off in the distance. Some of the wolves had passed by earlier, barely sparing her a glance as they hurried to where Jacob and hopefully Harry were. She couldn't help but worry as time passed and the poison spread through Harry's already weak body even more. All she could think about was what if they were too late to save him, and all because she had been hesitant to call someone for help.

It made her stomach twist painfully with guilt.

She had been so caught up in her worries that she forgot to pay attention to the path, and thus had no warning when her foot caught on one of the weathered tree roots.

Shouting out in blind panic she quickly put her arms over her face, preparing herself for what would ultimately be a rather brutal fall.

The fall never came however, and instead a pair of ice cold arms wrapped around her small waist with ease right before she plummeted down the rough mud slicked path. Blinking owlishly she looked up and couldn't keep the grin off her face at the sight of a rather bemused Edward.

"Thank you!" She tilted her head at him and frowned. She knew the boy's had gone off to Seattle recently, besides Carlisle who had to stay behind as work had unfortunately piled up in the hospital during his absence. "Not that I mind but…" She shrugged and gave him a helpless grin. "What are you doing here?"

He snorted softly and shook his head. "You always do have a way with words Bella." Ignoring her very put off glare he continued, his face filled with worry again. "Esme alerted us to the fact that there's a lost child in our part of the forest, she sent us out here to see if we can help find him." He paused when another howl sounded through the air. "And while we may not approve of the wolves breech in the treaty, in this case we will allow it." He smiled sadly. "She was very worried when she heard the news about him, and has already asked Carlisle to care for him when he is finally found; she wants to be sure that he will receive the best possible care."

Bella couldn't help but smiled at that, Esme was the personification of a caring mother, and even though she had never seen the mysterious boy, she was already fretting over him like a mother hen. Her smile quickly fell when her thoughts went back to Harry's current state and the feeling of guilt instantly came with it. She looked down at her sneakers, not wanting him to see how guilty she felt about all of this. "He'll need to have his stomach pumped… I found him eating some berries and I never even thought to…" She shook her head and rubbed her left arm nervously, the guilt was quickly eating away at her.

"Bella…" He started softly, realizing what was troubling her. "No matter what happens... Know that it is not your fault." He gently put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I doubt you are well versed enough on all of the different plant life in this forest to tell what would be fatal or not."

She stilled before slowly nodding in agreement, sighing wearily she looked up at him with tired eyes. "Then why do I still feel so guilty?"

He chuckled softly. "Because Bella, you seem to possess a remarkable ability to always find trouble, and then feel such tremendous guilt when said trouble comes your way." He grabbed her hand and started to tug her down the dirt path. "Come, let's bring you to your father, I'm sure he's been worrying enough as it is."

She nodded before stilling when a loud and pain filled howl sounded through the forest, the sound made her stop breathing as her heart felt the sorrow clearly emanating from the wolf. Turning frantically to Edward she noticed his eyes narrow as he gritted his teeth. She swallowed and asked the dreaded question, worried over the answer she would receive from him. "Did they…?"

He turned to her and sighed before nodding. "He's been found… but he's going to need medical help immediately."

She took a deep breath and tried to control her shaking hands. "Edward…" She started, her mind filled with countless thoughts on just what Harry's current condition could be. "How bad off is he?"

He looked at her with an odd expression before shaking his head and turning back to the path. It was obvious that he would not give her an answer.

She tried not to think on what his silence could mean as they both walked on quietly.

* * *

He was dying.

There could be no other explanation for this incredible pain.

While the hallucinations had finally stopped and left him in peace, he could no longer see things clearly, and his hearing was so muddled he might as well not have it for all the good it was doing him.

He screamed silently and felt his back arch as another spasm of pure unadulterated pain ran through his weakened body and couldn't help but sob.

He hated the pain, hated how it would give him a small reprieve, just to come back with a vengeance.

He didn't think he was in his small form anymore, any control he had over himself was long gone, not even his own thoughts were clear; but rather muddled and in utter chaos.

He felt his heart start to beat erratically and couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness that he would never see that beautiful russet coloured wolf again, or spend time in the lovely forest garden with Bella. He would miss the flowers; he would miss how they almost reminded him of something… happy.

Suddenly a strong pair of arms wrapped around him, the incredible heat they produced making him shiver uncontrollably. He panicked as he could barley see the person holding him besides an odd blurred out shape, he pushed at them weakly and tried to fight them off before giving up, his energy too used up. He could hear a distorted voice that seemed to be calling for something, but it sounded as if the person was talking through water. Another spasm of pain hit him and finally he couldn't see anymore.

There was a soft and gentle wind passing on his face, he wondered faintly if they were moving.

Then he wondered who 'they' were.

His thoughts stopped as he started to concentrate on his heart, it was beating so quickly now, a crescendo of loud and awe inspiring beats rising to fill his ears with nothing but the sound of his own life.

Then, just as it reached the pinnacle.

His heart stopped.

And everything went dark.

* * *

**_A/N: _**_Do not despair, for this tale is far from done. The next chapter will take place in the hospital, I tried to find room for it here, but sadly it wouldn't have worked out too well._

_I truly hope everyone enjoys how everything is going so far, and thank you all for your reviews and input on the tale. I hope no one minded how I tried to portray Edward, he is supposed to be somewhere in his hundreds if I'm not mistaken, so I though it would be rather odd if he talked like an average teenager. Still, I hope he lived up to everyone's expectation._

_I also have one more thing to ask of everyone, though this may be a touchy subject, I'm not too sure to be honest._

_Since it doesn't seem like many of you have a problem with the wolves not imprinting, I have one last serious question to ask of you, my dearest readers:_

_ Do you want the vampires to sparkle?_

_I never understood how the Volturi could live in Italy yet never be seen sparkling, and how it was possible for them to avoid the sun all the time. The Cullen's obviously went to school in different places and acted like teens, is it honestly possible that no one noticed their skin shining oddly whenever the sun peeked out? Especially since they couldn't have possibly lived in area's like Forks where the sun barley came out all the time, even Jasper mentioned living in the south, yet never mentioned hiding from the sun. Also I'm still not certain on how Edward went to Florida with Bella and was able to completely avoid the sun, especially since it never mentioned him wearing hats or gloves._

_I don't know, it's just a thought really, if you want them to stay sparkling, I'll leave them as they are. If not, I'll have the sun affect them in a slightly more realistic manner, and as thus give them a plausible reason for why they tend to skip school on sunny days._

_Once more thank you all for your kind reviews, please do leave more if you have enjoyed this latest installment, it would make me utterly happy to know if this tale is being enjoyed._

_Thank you._

_Till next time._


	5. Of Miracles and The Question of Living

**_A/N: _**_Thank you all for following this story and enjoying its tale. The debate on to sparkle, or not to sparkle is quite interesting, and later on I'll let it be known which one came out as the victor. As for the eventual pairing, it'll also be made known at a later date; though I have a feeling some readers may be surprised by how it will be done and carried out. Either way I hope everyone enjoys how everything goes._

_Also once more I have to say thank you all for the wonderful reviews you have given me. I cherished them all as they bring countless smiles to me and happiness. I just started writing a few months ago, and to know the tales I write are being enjoyed is such a fulfilling feeling, so I thank you._

_I truly hope everyone enjoys this chapter, and please do leave a review if you do, they are something I enjoy immensely._

_And now…_

_Onwards…_

* * *

**_Disclaimer: _**_Characters are not mine._

* * *

The first thing he noticed was how there was nothing.

Or rather…

How dark it was, and how far it seemed to stretch on.

The next thing he noticed was the silence. There was no wind to be heard rustling his hair, there was no comforting sound of his heart beating in his chest, nor was there any melody to be heard, hummed quietly as if not to startle the listener.

No.

All that was, all that could be…

Was nothing.

He could try to look around, to move and become more aware of his surroundings. Yet he came to realize that he could not see, or perhaps there simply existed nothing for him to see, and thus, there was no reason for him to look in the first place. He thought of moving his legs or arms, but there was no possible way to move them, no way to know if they were there. He then started to wonder if he even possessed them to begin with.

Perhaps instead, he simply was. He was simply there, where nothing existed for him to see, for nothing to be heard or thought of but him.

That thought… was comforting; but in an almost sad sort of way.

It would have made him cry he was sure, if he had a face in which tears were to fall upon.

This nothingness suited him, for here there could be nothing to ever come harm him, there could not be anything to come by and wish ill of him.

Here he would simply exist, without pause, without reason.

He almost wanted to stay here forever.

Perhaps he was simply a thought; a small thought surrounded in nothingness where once existed millions or more. Yet now, all that there was, was simply him.

He was getting sad again.

It was an odd feeling, sadness.

It came quickly, as if formed like an arrow on a taunt bow, only to be released once it was sure to strike him true. Then the feeling would slowly well up until he realized he was in pain, that he was sad.

Perhaps he should stop thinking in a way that would make him sad.

Instead he concentrated on the comforting nothingness, maybe he could stay here, floating away peacefully for all of eternity. Locked away safely from prying eyes and violence; much like how a caring mother tries to shield their child from the harsh realties that exist within the world.

Here he could be protected, hidden away in a peaceful isolation.

Forever.

_'Is that really what you want?'_

He startled at the soft voice, after having grown so used to being alone, it felt odd to have another here with him. It was a nice voice however, gentle and oh so peaceful, as if to lull him into a calming slumber. The voice reminded him of warm summer days, in which the sun would seem to caress his cold skin with its invigorating touch, it made him think of children's laughter as they played together in child like innocence, being watched closely and with love by their mothers and fathers. The voice no longer startled him, but instead left him feeling content, it made him feel loved and wanted.

He decided he liked the voice.

It laughed then, the sound like wind chimes flowing in a lazy autumn breeze, of a child falling into a pile of crackling leaves in late October, as they squealed out in joy and exhilaration.

Just as suddenly as the sound began, so did it stop, leaving him with an odd aching feeling after.

_'Do you really want to drift away?'_

It seemed almost sad at the thought, as if it was only a moment away from crying tears of the purest crystal from its sorrow at his loss. For one desperate moment he would have lied or spoken truthfully, he would of spoke the grandest of myths, or the most heartbreaking of truths; he would have done anything, anything at all just to have that beautiful voice sound happy once more.

The darkness almost seemed to blur around him then, as if it had been listening to his innermost thoughts and desires and now wished to grant him them. With a start he realized he was now standing. He could feel his toes flexing as they tried to keep themselves steady on the strange surface. He could not name it, no matter how hard he tried. He could feel blades of grass tickling his skin, just as he could feel the cold chill brought upon by a late snow fall in winter. As with the others he could feel the gentlest of silks caressing his toes along with the roughest of wool scratching at them in an almost uncomfortable manner. There was no rhyme or reason for all the different sensations, they just simply were. He gasped loudly at the sudden change, the sound seeming the echo in the vast emptiness. In the far off distance did soon a bright light appear then, it seemed to be calling for him, whispering secrets close enough to entice him by, but far enough that no matter how hard he strained, he could not hear the whispered words and promises.

He stayed still however, and did not follow after their enticement.

He didn't want to return after all.

He didn't want to go to wherever the light called him to.

_'Why not?'_

He jumped in surprise then, having thought the voice to have long since left him. Valiantly he tried to turn and face the odd voice, his curiosity bubbling within him as he wondered on the appearance of the speaker beside him. Surely they must look ethereal; a being beyond simple words of beauty, far beyond the touch of any, for the beauty and love in which they spoke was truly beyond that of man. Yet try as he might it was not to be, he could not turn or move no matter how much he wished to. He felt frustration fill him at the thought of being denied a glance, before wondering if perhaps he was not worthy of it to begin with. It chuckled softly then at his confusion before calmly denying his question of self worth. With no words it seemed to tell him how he was worth more then the grandest of silks, more then any answer of life, he was worth so much more in it's kind eyes, something which he believed to be inconceivable. It seemed to smile then and slowly did it place a warm and soft hand upon his shoulder, filling him up once more with thoughts of love and affection.

_'There's so much you haven't seen, so much for you to enjoy and live for… are you truly willing to throw it all away?'_

He frowned and thought on its simple question for the longest of moments. He could not remember what he had seen, what he had experienced, any and all thoughts he had of things before him came only from the voice and speaker. All that he knew, all the knowledge that he himself possessed was surprisingly little. He knew he existed here in this vast emptiness, and he knew, without a doubt, that he simply _was_. There was nothing else to tell him who he was, what he had seen or experienced besides an overwhelming feeling of sorrow and abandonment, of fears now unknown to him. He became scared then of these unknown fears, for what was there to stop them from continuing, from coming back to harm him?

_'And if they stop? And if your fears are unfounded?'_

Then… maybe he would return? There were still so many things left uncertain to him. He wondered faintly if the voice would follow him, if it would join him on this bemusing journey. He wanted it to. Oh did he want it. He liked the feeling of unconditional love and protection it gave him, how it would leave him with a sense of contentment and warmth.

It sighed sadly then, and already he could feel himself grow disheartened at the answer he was sure to receive.

_'I can not go with you…"_

He felt sadness then, he should have known such a thing. Should have realized how it would be impossible. The voice continued on, seeming to fight away his morose thoughts.

_ 'But I can take you back…'_

For a moment he wondered if he truly did desire to go back from whence he came, yet all he knew…

All that he really knew…

Was that he didn't want to be alone.

_'Then walk Harry.'_

He blinked in surprise at the soft spoken name.

_'Just walk; and you won't have to be alone any longer.'_

Its presence disappeared then, as if to leave him as he made his decision. Taking a deep breath he curled up his toes nervously before raising his foot away from the nothingness. The air went still and quiet then, as if filled with anticipation for his next move.

And so, throwing caution to the wind…

He began to walk towards that faint yet brilliant light.

And this time.

He did not think to glance back.

Left behind him in the shadows of the vast darkness, in a world that would never be meant for him; did a pair of brilliant green eyes, so much like his own, look onwards at his retreating form with love before they too disappeared. Leaving only the faint scent of fresh lilies behind to show their presence ever being there to begin with.

* * *

Jacob stood still in front of the waiting room door. Sam and Seth waited quietly on uncomfortable plastic seats, having long since given up on having him join them. The rest of the pack had been sent home, the hospital having been too small too host them all and there having been no valid reason for all of them to be there to begin with. Bella sat hidden away in a corner, trying to focus on the news channel playing softly on the small discoloured television. Yet every now and then her eyes would stray to the door as well as she bit her bottom lip raw, immense guilt and regret pooling up in her dark brown eyes. Charlie seemed to be stuck in a state of shock, and had barely been coherent enough to sigh off on the waivers presented to him that would allow Harry any medical procedure he might need. Since the boy was currently counted as a ward of the state they needed someone to sign them before they could try and heal him. Charlie had hurriedly signed his messy signature then, wanting the young teen to receive the care he so desperately needed as soon as possible.

Jacob hadn't moved from the door since one of the nurses on staff had bustled them all in, her aged faced lined with worry as she glanced back at the operating room. While his body was still, his mind would not give him such a respite, and instead his thoughts were in chaos as he tried to make sense of it all.

Never in his sixteen years of life, had he'd seen anyone die before.

They had killed a vampire once, and he supposed in a way that counted as a death. But to him, it had only been a monster, something that needed to be put down and eliminated.

Yet Harry… Harry was different. He had been nothing like that monster, nothing like it at all.

The small form had looked so incredibly small in his strong arms. He had been surprised and truthfully scared at just how cold the young teen's body had been, it felt like he had been holding ice compared to his overheated form. It was almost instinctively that he thought to hold Harry closer to his chest in order to have the boy feel even a small semblance of warmth from his being.

He had looked so fragile, that as they ran with almost inhuman speed to the ambulance he was struck with the irrational fear that the small boy would simply break in his arms from being too delicate.

It had painfully reminded him of when he was younger and had found an empty robin's nest in one of the trees near the reservation. The birds that had once called it home had long since matured and flew off, leaving behind only small brilliant blue egg shells to ever tell of it's inhabitants.

His father had warned him then to touch them carefully, or they'll break in his hands. His father had smiled warmly at him and told him how incredible life truly was, for though the eggs were so delicate, so easy to break and destroy; they had been strong enough to support a life until it had grown. Those same weak eggs had survived over countless of odds as it held within it's depths a beautiful and awe inspiring life. Slowly, his father had handed him the shells, once more giving him the warning to be gentle. His hands had trembled then at being entrusted with holding such a miracle. He had tried so hard to protect and cherish them, yet no matter how honest and good his intentions were, no matter what he tried; the delicate shells had still broken within his grasp, only to turn into a fine blue powder and be carried off into the wind.

He'd cried then, cried large fat tears as the feeling of shame welled up within him for destroying something so beautiful, for being such a brute as to break something so precious.

His father had smiled at him sadly and pulled him into a hug. He had explained that some things in life were so beautiful, so precious and delicate, that they simply weren't meant to last long, only to be treasured for one brilliant moment before being taken away, off to where they truly belonged. His father's eyes had grown filled with pain then and only later would he come to realize what he had been trying to say.

Only later would he remember the faint image of a beautiful woman with long hair the colour of midnight as she danced and laughed with his father.

That memory would only come much later.

It was one of the many reasons why he had chosen to work with cars. To be a mechanic he needed strength in order to fix the gears or breaks. He had no reason to worry about being careful, of being gentle. Not there.

Yet when he had held Harry in his arms, all he could think of was those eggshells. And for the first time since becoming a wolf he had been scared, and filled with fear.

He had been so scared of being too rough, of breaking the small boy in his arms, just as he had destroyed the robin eggs so long ago.

He had watched in fear as Harry tried to push away, his body already so weak yet still having the strength to attempt to fight back. He felt like a monster for the first time since he's changed, because he could barley feel Harry's touch, it had felt like the softest of caresses to him. So gentle and delicate, so easy for him to destroy.

For that one moment, he had hated himself.

As they ran to the ambulance, his too small chest has seemed to fight for every breath he took into his lungs. His ribs seeming to strain against the pale skin, to Jacob he had been weightless. Almost as if the teen was just a bird in human form, with hollow bones to make sure the earth did not hold him when he tried to fly off, with bones so thin and fragile that even the smallest touch could cause immense harm.

Then those brilliant emerald green eyes had looked upon him, a gentle and calm look had graced the too pale features. And instantly he had been filed with dread as he realized something had gone horribly wrong.

Harry's heart started to accelerate; he could feel its desperate beating against his skin, trying to keep the small body alive as its beats grew more frantic with the effort.

Then…

It just stopped.

Those brilliant eyes closed ever so slowly… and…

Nothing…

Harry wasn't there anymore.

He had stood still in disbelief before releasing a desperate howl, he had cried out in pain and anguish at having to watch something so beautiful being taken away.

He hated himself.

He hated how once more he had destroyed something so precious and delicate by being too rough. The small boy lying limply in his arms had stopped living because he could not be gentle, because no matter how many warning he had been given, he was incapable of holding something so fragile.

He had grown frantic then, and held the quickly cooling body near his chest in a vain attempt at protection as his pack watched on with various looks of sorrow and pity. It was only because of Sam that he did not go truly insane then. The alpha had calmed him enough to make him still head towards the ambulance, he had fed him a lie in the form of hope. And like a man desperate for water he had reached for it. He had told him how it was possible to bring him back if they rushed, if they kept moving.

And so he ran.

He didn't pay any mind to the dozens of cuts littering his body as he held the delicate form close. He didn't pay any mind to the trees that seemed to reach for him in an attempt to delay him, to let death take and keep the precious life he held within his arms.

He pushed on with an almost desperate hope. He wanted him to breathe again. He wanted to see those emerald eyes open again.

Just like as a child he had wished for the eggs to return to their original form, to be safe in his grasp; so did he now wish for Harry to be saved.

He had climbed into the ambulance when they'd finally reached the forest edge, ignoring any shouts of protest from the paramedic's. Faintly he remembered Bella trying to get his attention as she looked at Harry's still form. He only barley remembered her collapsing on the ground in tears, fearing the worst and not strong enough to hope for the best. Just barley did he remember the single tear that fell down Charlie's crestfallen face as he failed to save the child in time.

Yet these thoughts and memories were so faint, he barely paid them any mind.

Instead he had stared upon the unmoving body in his arms before slowly, ever so slowly and with great care handing him over to the paramedic's. The skin had long since grown cold to his touch, but all he could think of was the young teens pale face lighting up once more with colour as the satin skin filled with life once more.

They would save him.

No matter what they would save him.

He couldn't bear to think of the alternative.

And so…

He wouldn't.

The ride had went by in a blur then, they had to restrain him each time the electric shocks didn't work, each time that small body rose from the gurney just to fall back down, his heart still not beating. Every time they tried to call out a time of death he had to be restrained as he tried to lunge at the foolish medic that would just give up and let Harry die.

And then…

There was a beep on the monitor.

They had all missed it at first. The driver was too busy worrying over the road instead of the arguments happening in the back.

One of the medics had been trying to restrain him unsuccessfully as another suggested a sedative.

The other was just looking at Harry's prone form with such a strong level of sadness that it would have shocked him if he wasn't already close to becoming feral.

Then… it beeped again.

They had all stared at the small machine in surprise.

It had been so long after death, it should be impossible.

Yet… ever so faintly, was his heart beating once more in a too fragile chest.

There had been a panic when they'd finally arrived at the hospital. All of them had been against moving Harry, lest the miracle stop again and they lose him once more. It had grown dark by this point, with the only light to be seen from the glass doors as the vampire doctor rushed out with a group of nurses and doctors by his side. His pale face twisted with anger at them for holding back his patient. Jacob thought the man would have snarled at them angrily if he had possessed even a little less control. Finally the gurney was lowered and they quickly rushed Harry into the operating room.

Then some nurses had then forced him into the sitting room where Seth and his Alpha waited with the Swan's. Bella's tears had long since dried and instead she seemed filled with hope just knowing that they were waiting here.

That there was a reason to wait.

And so wait, they did.

Bella sat quietly with her father, her face pale and drawn with worry. Her father had an arm over her shoulder in comfort, yet Jacob wasn't too sure who was the one asking for such affection. Ever second that the clock moved, did the man seem to lose more hope at having good news delivered to them.

Yet Jacob stood by the door, still and unmoving as he waited.

He would not allow himself to think of Harry passing.

He would survive.

Because for Jacob, there was no other option.

And then…

The most heart wrenching and soul shattering of screams sounded through the hospital startling the night staff and some of the patients staying overnight.

Several nurses had rushed towards the operating room from their desks where just moment before they had been whispering solemnly about the poor boy

A few doctors had run passed as well, perhaps wondering if their help was needed as the scream seemed to continue on.

So much pain and agony was expressed in that one scream. It seemed almost impossible to think that such a sound could come from the fragile boy, and yet, it did.

Bella hid her face in her father's chest as the scream continued to reverberate through the hospital walls, her youth and naivety not being able to understand or even attempt to comprehend what she was hearing, instead she leaned to her father and asked for comfort; the one thing she could ask of him.

Seth was faring no better and already had tears running down his dark cheeks as he felt the pain emanating from the youth. He hugged Sam and cried as he tried to gain comfort from such a desperate situation.

Both of the adult had looked at the other in helplessness, both wanting to calm their charges and assure them that all was well yet unable to do so.

Yet through it all Jacob stood by the door, and he smiled.

Pain…

Pain can always be healed when one lives.

And while those delicate eggs from so long ago could never be brought together, he would make sure that the small and frail boy he had carried in his arms as he raced through the woods. The small delicate boy who had died so suddenly, and yet now lived…

He would make sure…

That Harry…

That Harry never again had a reason to sound as he did now.

Never again.

* * *

Time… is a rather relative term to the undead.

He had been alive now for three hundred and sixty seven years, of which only twenty three were spent as a mortal.

And through it all, had time passed him by, and left him untouched.

Cursed as he was by fate, he had tried to make himself better, to not grieve over the loss of his humanity, but rather welcome what he had now come to be.

Albeit in a different manner then was usually expected.

He had seen the worst of his kind, and now he wished to be above such crass mannerism. He did not partake of the human flesh as had so many before him, but rather he drank that hated elixir from the beast that freely roam through the land. Their life blood had sung to him; had given him a choice, which many would easily overlook.

In his vast amount of time, he had seen much of the world.

Yet still he could acknowledge that he had seen so little, so little of what truly existed that in certain moments he would be left speechless as his eyes gazed upon such marvelous wonders.

He had found early on that there existed a certain beauty and charm in the healing arts, in knowing the human body and coming to understand from just where they had come from. And to being able to see now where they aspire towards.

He had seen so many different types of medicine in his time. From the poor man who sold coloured water and called it an elixir for all ailments, all in the desperate hope of keeping his family fed through the harsh winters. Then to the almost apathetic of surgeons, who never blinked an eye when they were forced to remove a limb, yet later would drink themselves to a drunken stupor just to forget those pleading eyes as countless poor youths screamed in pure agony under their care. They would almost always cry then.

And that… was something he found he'd missed the most at times.

He missed the simple joys that came of letting go of ones oftentimes too tight hold of the many emotions that ailed the human race. He missed just letting those liquid crystals fall down his face as he sobbed for his losses.

He missed the feeling that would overtake him then. Sweet relief and a sense of calm as he cried out against all that had been wrought so cruelly against him.

His father had never understood such a thing, and instead made sure to warn him never to show such weakness.

If his father ever caught him displaying such a weakness, of ever allowing their family to be disgraced by allowing his tears to fall, he would be caned quite cruelly, and forced to recite the ten commandments by memory as the harsh and unrelenting wood struck his back with such ferocity that at times he would wonder how it was that he was not made an invalid.

He wondered if the man would find it ironic that now; after being made into the very thing he'd once despised, that he could not cry, even if that is what he wished for.

For what felt like eons did he simply wonder through the earth after his turning. He encountered and stayed with vampires of all types, from all nations. He witnessed abilities so grand, so beautiful that his breath would catch, as if even his undead heart could realize the magnificence of what was presented to him, and made him show his appreciation the only way he was able.

Of the arts, he could still hear the soft magic that seemed to weave a spell upon its patrons, locking them in it's beautiful but deadly grasp.

He'd lost count of how many he'd seen fall from its cruel yet loving touch, their mortal bodies not able to stand its magnificence. They would instead leave behind gifts for other's to share and remember them by. To let others remember the once brilliant fire that laid claim upon their person.

It was as he witnessed and saw all these things come to pass, it was as he began to realize his immortality, as he filled with despair on the thought of his never ending life… that he had finally decided to become selfish.

And so he turned his first childe, a young boy, who forevermore would be kept from adulthood. To be known as always a boy, and never a man.

He'd spent days and then months wondering about his actions, about the possible consequences that would later arise from such a selfish act.

Yet… he'd soon realized, he did not regret it.

And probably never would.

In his undying selfishness he had turned more, and soon surrounded himself in a coven, in a family.

Something he had never wished for in his mortal life, but so desired in his death.

It was an odd way of life, the path he had chosen. Yet when time is but a simple word, written with simple letters, it all becomes rather relative.

However.

Just as there are still thing yet to be seen in this world.

Just as he grows to wonder if he has finally seen everything…

Something appears before him, that makes his undead heart beat and his breath catch.

A small, too small boy had been brought in, with such a malnourished and delicate frame that the childe could be anywhere from twelve to seventeen.

So small and young, so utterly delicate.

He had seen millions of different human faces in his career, had treated millions of others in the past.

Yet this small insignificant childe had caused him to pause.

The reports showed that he had been dead for almost twenty minutes before his heart had started again.

Something… that had previously been claimed impossible in the medical world.

The boy's body looked so weak, and as the poison had already entered his already weakened system, he began to doubt that the boy would live past the night.

For yet another selfish moment he had thought of turning him, of changing this small incredible child who had caused him to wonder, to pause in his immortal life.

A true impossibility.

Yet with the treaty hanging over him like an executioner standing before the gallows he knew he could not, even when he so desperately wanted the mysterious child to live.

For an idle moment, he wondered what tales the boy carried within him, and if he would ever have the joy of hearing them.

The heart had stopped again. The small body looking paler then his own undead flesh and he couldn't help but feel despair at having lost such a brilliant flame of life.

He had seen countless deaths in his time, yet for this mystery, it caused him such great sorrow.

As if the tale has passed him by, long before it had even truly begun.

Yet… as if the childe wished to prove himself, wished to show him how still there were mysteries for him yet to uncover…

As if to prove that even for the undead, there existed such a thing as miracles.

Did his bright emerald eyes open once more.

He had stood still then, in shock and disbelief; the nurses and staff not faring any better as they tried to understand this impossibility.

Then… he had screamed.

And oh had Carlisle wished he could cry.

Pain.

Sorrow.

Anguish.

Despair.

Over and over did the emotions fill him until he felt as if he was choking on the very air he did not need to breathe from, as if he was dying from the sorrow and screams that seemed to never end. The haunted sound piercing through him over and over as he stood by helpless to stop them, to bring the childe any form of relief from its constant suffering.

It was then, as if by a stray thought alone he thought to look at the machines that they had plugged into the small and delicate body. For an odd moment he thought to look upon the information the machines were furiously cataloguing on their unknown patient. The other's watched on helplessly and in a state of panic as the young boy seemed to arch off the hospital bed from the pain he was in, they fruitlessly tried to hold him down so that he caused himself no harm.

Yet Carlisle.

Carlisle looked elsewhere.

For his eyes… were locked on something that could only be called a miracle.

As he had done for so many years, as he had searched the world over a hundred times for a reason, for an answer, for anything to explain his existence by.

So were his silent pleas finally heard.

Death had come calling for the child twice, yet could not hold him, could not wrap him in its bitter embrace, its dark and silent cloak could not touch him nor lay any claim upon him.

He looked at the machines as they showed the poison slowly draining out of the young boy's body, he saw as death seemed to float away from the impossible child.

And he smiled.

Quickly, with hands skilled a hundred times over from tasks done centuries before, did he stop the machine, did he hide away the truth.

Something which should never happen, something which can never be.

A gift, a mystery, a question long since gone unanswered.

He smiled as he turned and looked at the impossible child, and instinctively knew.

After living where time was but a word, now….

Time would soon stop for him.

And then… it would start again.

And this time, Carlisle would welcome it.

* * *

**_A/N: _**_It seems like I'm only giving a small taste of the vampires as each chapter goes on. I apologize if this drives anyone batty. I would also like to take this time to mention a few things._

_This is not a Carlisle/Harry story; he's just fascinated by the mystery presented to him._

_Also I looked up a few things about Carlisle from his time as a human, and it's said that he's Angelican…_

_Unfortunately that's as much as I know about that religion, so if they do not follow the commandments then forgive me for that grave error._

_I also with to thank you all again for your lovely reviews! Each one means so much to me and allows me a smile whenever I come across them._

_Also, I just wish to say I adored the long reviews I received, so never be afraid to write as much as you want should the story inspire such an action._

_Thank you again and I truly hope everyone continues to enjoy this tale and read on._

_Thank you._

_Till next time._


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